In between
by IcyMysticWarrior
Summary: A couple of drabbles about the experiences in between each horde.
1. Ghosts

The long, winding road stretched out in front of them. A fog had rolled in, giving the tiny dilapidated and deserted town a very Silent Hill-sque setting. As they reached the outskirts of town, a certain con-man's headache grew. After senseless hours of a mechanic's chatter, Nick's patience had worn down to a stub, not that he had much for the younger man, anyway. The news reporter named Rochelle, was snug on Coach's lap, them both fast asleep from Ellis' various stories about his friend, Kieth.  
Nick was pressed against the window, squished by the larger man. Ellis was quiet for sometime, but from his intake of breath, Nick knew he was about to say something.  
"Hey Nick, are ya awake?"

He almost didn't want to answer, "Yeah, what is it?" He almost wished a Tank would come to break up the story doomed to come.

"Did I ever tell you 'bout the time my buddy Kieth-"

"Sorry Ellis," Nick quickly broke in, "Can I interrupt?" He saw a graveyard, his mind forming a plan to distract him.

"Sure, Nick."

He looked out at the e, "I think it's night. Did you know that if you don't hold your breath near a cementary, zom-I mean ghosts will come to steal your breath while you sleep?"

The mechanic was silent, his breathing seemed forced.

"Really, Nick?" He sounded suspicious.

Nick sat up, though still a bit restrained from his seat belt, "Are you seri-"

"I mean, it sounded like you were about to say zombies, but, shoot, ghosts? I can understand zombies, since they're knocking the living crap out of us, but ghosts..well, they're 'nother matter all together." The younger man held his breath while passing by while the conman massaged his temples to ease the headache.


	2. Rochelle's Day Dream

**I forgot to write this in the first one. Don't own L4D. If I did, I wouldn't be writing this, would I?**  
**I know the characters are OOC during the middle. That's Rochelle's thinking, not mine.**  
**I read on the L4D wiki that "Rochelle might have entertained the idea of a romance between her and Nick, but his cynical behavior puts her at bay."**  
**Lulz. This is one I though of.**

**(P.s. I don't curse. So, just use whatever you want to keep them in character.)**

Rochelle looked at her teamate, then stared back at her gun. It was so odd for her to think like this, but it was the zombie thinking wasn't so far off from normal. Nick shoved a common infected away from Rochelle.  
"Pay attention!" He snapped.  
"Sorry," She mouthed, shooting one from behind him.  
He shrugged and turned, hurrying to go help Coach off of the ground. She shoved a zombie off of Ellis. "Thanks." He said, spinning around. "There's the safehouse!" He pointed with the lazer sight mounted to his hunting rifle.  
She rubbed his head, "You're amazing, Ellis!" He gave her a smug grin and ran to it.  
A screech made her stand upright, making her turn around quickly. There, unremarkably, was a crouching infected, wearing trademark hoodie.

"Hunter!" Rochelle yelled.

She ran backwards, shooting at the Hunter as it lept towards her, screeching each time it lept forward.

"It's chasing me!" She yelled. To her dismay, she didn't see any familiar figures amoung the miniature horde of commons. The back of her heel hit a wall.  
Panicked, she shot the hunter desperately. The gun clicked. The hunter leaped at her, the loud screeching echoing in her ears. Suddenly, a gunshot rang out just as the edge of the hunters' claw scratched the tip of her nose. It fell dead at her feet, a certain white suit off of the corner of her eye.

"You alright?" The conman asked, pushing the body away from her with his feet.

"I'm fine." She panted, bracing herself on Nick's shoulder. She immediately regretted it when he winced. "Jeez, sweetie, thought you'd notice a gaping hole in a man's side."

"Oh no, I'm sorry. I'll fix that up. I do owe you one." Rochelle pulled out her medkit.

"Let's wait until we're in the safehouse. Okay?"

"Right." She helped him limp back to the safehouse. As they limp-walked back, Rochelle let her mind wander.

_" 'You'll be alright.' I said, pulling a bandage out my medkit._  
_'I'd better be.' Nick rolled his eyes at me, I could sense a smile tening his lips. We walked into the safehouse, finding a chair for Nick to sit in. He sat down and I began bandaging his wound. I clicked my tounge, 'Sure got you good, huh?'_  
_He laughed lightly, 'I've been worse.'_  
_I raised an eyebrow as I looked up at him, '"Been worse," huh? How?' Suddenly, he put a finger on my nose. "You're bleeding." He wiped some blood off of my nose. 'Guess the hunter got you, huh?'_  
_I chuckled, 'Not as bad as you.' I felt something press on my nose._  
_'There.'_  
_'What did you just-'_  
_'Band-aid. Works wonders, huh?' He snickered._  
_I smiled and finished bandaging him, 'There. Won't hurt as bad.'_  
_'Thanks, Ro.' He put his coat back on and stood up. I did the same. A draft from a boarded window made me shiver. 'Jeez...that was cold. We should cover that.' Suddenly, I felt something warm draped around my shoulders._  
_'There. I'll go find something to cover that up with.'Nick smiled. He turned to go when I called to him. 'Hey, suit, wait.' I brandished the nickname I used for him when we first met._  
_He raised an expectant eyebrow, 'Yeah?'_  
_'...uhm,' I looked down at his jacket, which I was clutching tightly around me, 'Looks like your suit is only $2,997 now.' I looked at the area where the buttons should've been. He laughed and turned back to me, "Nah, the suit's prob'ly more.'_  
_'Because...?' 'Because you're in it.' He held my shoulders. He leaned closer to me when we-"_

"ELLIS! YOU DUMB-" Nick yelled, smacking the younger man with the butt of his gun.  
"Sorry, Nick. Jus' thought I'd wash out yer inj'ry. But, I tripped on some'ne's medkit." Ellis scratched his head sheepishly as he began mopping up the water that had spalshed everywhere.  
"Nick, don't slam on the boy, now. He's doin' his best to help you." Coach said, with a fatherly warning in his voice.  
Rochelle snapped out of her day dream and looked up at the boys.  
"Well, make sure to tell him to watch where his dumb-"  
"Nick..." She warned. She had forgotten how Nick could really be.  
Nick backed down. "Fine."  
Coach looked at Rochelle, who was standing by the door, setting up the barricade against the infected. He gave her a knowing smile.  
"What?" She looked back. He shook his head.  
She realized what he meant. "Oh hush up, Coach." She muttered.  
She could still hear Coach's quiet chuckling over Nick's yells and Ellis' apologies.

**(Extras: I think most suit jackets have three buttons. Therefore 3000 minus 3 equals 2997.)**


	3. Ellis' Hat

**Still don't own L4D. This is my theory on how Ellis got his hat(other than him having it already.)**

"Aw, c'mon, Kieth. Yer leavin' now?" The brunette asked, standing in the doorway of his friend's room.  
"Yup. Ma said that I might as well, wit' all 'f the infected runnin' around." Kieth packed a few more things into his suitcase. "You should come wit' me.  
Think 'bout it. We'll ride in a whirly-bird!"  
"Temptin' as that sounds, can't. Business's boomin'. What wit' all of the pe'ple 'vacuating, lots've come ta fix up their cars." Ellis shook his head. "Kinda sad ta think that I won't be able to see ya any more."  
Kieth paused, holding up a blue and white cap. "Bet yer door is always open, huh, Ellis?" "'Course it is."  
"I'll bet tha' yer gunna get real sunburnt, huh? 'Specially since yer gonna wait ou' here fer a while, then head ta the evac?" "I dunno. Guess so." Ellis scratched his head. "I can't really. 'Therwise, they'll think I'd be 'nfected."  
Kieth laughed. "'Guess I'm done packin'."  
"Wha..? Already?"  
"Yup." He grabbed the suitcase and pat the mechanic on the head. "'Guess I'll be goin' now."  
"Hey," Ellis fist-bumped his good friend, "Y'all take care now."  
"You too." He walked past Ellis, but paused. "Here, yer gunna need it more than me." He tossed him the hat.  
Ellis looked at the hat, unbelieving. "Naw, Kieth, I can't take this. This is yer lucky hat!"  
The redhead laughed, "You can bet one of yer brown locks that yer gunna need it."  
"...Thanks, Kieth." Ellis said, putting the cap on his head.  
"But.."  
"But?"  
"When we meet up again, you'd better give it back. 'Kay? Otherwise you can kiss those tickets to Midnight Riders goodbye."  
Ellis laughed, "Alright. That's fair."  
He walked outside to Ellis' truck, waiting for the mechanic to take him over to one of the many CEDA evacuation centers.

Thinking back to the event, Ellis laughed as he remembered the even. "Kieth was right." He thought.  
He laughed.


End file.
